Is it better to wake my husband up at 4am to fetch my anti-nausea meds or to be sick on the floor whilst crawling to get them myself?

Who can I thank for developing these amazing anti-nausea drugs to counter effects from infusions like mine?

Now that I’m not actively unwell I am hungry, but what do I want to eat?

How many different foods will my husband cook and place in front of me before we find one I can imagine eating?

Since I’m leaving town for work tomorrow, how much packing can I accomplish without lifting my head from my pillow?

So basically, I’m at THAT stage of my treatment. Since my diseases are calm and medication side effects are my only problems, this feels a lot like complaining. But then again if I liked being nauseous all of the time, that would be weird, right?

I have been feeling good and have been hopeful that this trip wouldn’t cause my Relapsing Polychondritis to flare up. So far, so good.

My terrible, horrible, no good, very bad knee has been bothering me for a month so I got cortisone injections before I left home. The first half of my trip was work and work stressed my knee. I took a rest day or two between work and running around like a crazy tourist and my knee is nearly fine! I have walked miles and miles and miles in Paris and London (including many Many MANY stairs) and the worst effect is a mild sunburn where my SPF clothing didn’t cover. Note to self: SPF clothes don’t protect what they don’t cover — use sunscreen.

I have another infusion as soon as I get home and then I plan to go public with my illness. So nothing is happening, really, but much is going on!

My RP has been quiet for nearly a year. WooHoo!!!! My fibromyalgia pain is being managed by medication 19 out of 20 days. I have energy and relatively little pain and generally feel better than I have in years.

I won’t lie — the days the pain breaks through aren’t fun (like today). The side-effects from my weekly medications aren’t fun. The infusions are distinctly unpleasant. Otherwise, my life is pretty darn grand.

1. It had to happen sometime. I had a beautifully pain-free May, but Sunday’s weather did me in. I have a variety of pain medication for a variety of types of pains and I took one of everything to get through the day. Fortunately, Monday was better. I’m slightly bummed that I had a bad day, but mostly grateful that it wasn’t a horrible day/week/month/year.

2. I had a physical this morning. I didn’t feel apprehensive about this appointment at all. I feel better than I have in a few years, I haven’t had any flareups in over 6 months, and I’ve lost over 10 pounds. So what does the doctor say? “Your weight is getting up there.” And then I heard the typical “You’re overweight and need to…” speech. Um…. I’ve lost weight but I let her go on, because she wouldn’t be doing her job if she didn’t tell me that I should lose weight. Eventually I had to interrupt, “Considering my size and medical problems, I’m in great shape.” Reluctantly, she agreed.

I am still feeling wonderful. It’s so odd to not be in pain. I’m not sure I realized just how much pain I was in until it was relieved.

My hands, however, are a bit of a mess. I still have that trigger finger, two trigger thumbs, a pinkie with a messed up tendon, and a few other issues. None of this is horrible, but I’m paying attention since I work with my hands.

So I will take my wonderful-feeling self to occupational therapy in hopes that they can improve my hands. I want to halt any damage and keep use as long as possible.